Workout of the Day

Jan 22

Paleo Brownies

Have you ever had “paleo brownies?” How about “guilt-free hot chocolate” or “low carb pancakes?” There’s a funny little distinction to be made any time you take on a healthy dietary change: the spirit of the law vs the letter of the law.

The internet is full to the brim with recipes for your favorite comfort foods adapted to fit any nutrition prescription parameter: keto, Whole30, gluten free, sugar free, vegan, etc. While I don’t deny that “paleo brownies” probably offer more nutritional upside than your typical brownies made with processed flours and white sugars, we run into a few issues with this way of thinking.

Brownies made with some alternative flour and natural sweeteners such as coconut sugar, honey, or dates are still a calorie-dense, satiety-poor, and high-sugar food. While 50g of sugar from dates is probably better for you than 50g of sugar from white sugar, it’s still 50g of sugar. The added problem is that attaching the arbitrary label of “healthy” or “paleo” or anything else to these treats often gives us unspoken permission to eat them en masse. While we may stop at one or two ordinary brownies, because we know we’re indulging in something that is typically considered “unhealthy,” when brownies are suddenly “healthy,” it’s easy to unthinkingly throw back six of them and feel pretty good about yourself.

If you’re partaking in the Whole Life Challenge with us this year, or if you’ve ever undertaken a dietary change that limits or eliminates particular foods or ingredients, take note. You can game the system and find ways to make all of your favorite indulgence foods compliant, but don’t fool yourself: brownies are brownies. If you’re going to have an indulgence, absolutely make it with alternative compliant ingredients, and enjoy knowing that your indulgence is offering more nutritional benefit than a regular old brownie may. But let’s not trade out the spirit of the law to play the twisted game of the letter of the law.